Thermo-electric regulator.



W. G. HARTWIG. THERMO'ELECTRIC REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY as. 1911.-

1 ,300,21 5. I Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT clarion.

mum G. EARTWIG, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB- TD FRAHTZEE: O?

cnrcaeo, rumors. I mmo-nnnormc meomroa Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 16, 1917. Serial). 180,750.

- To all whom it may concern:

' tion.

Be it known that I, Wmunrr G. HAR'IWIG, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Thermo-Electric Regulators, of which the following is a specifica- This invention relates ,to thermo-electric regulators in general, but more particularly to those for controlling the electric heating apparatus on street cars, and especially those switch-mchanism is Mon.

in which the electro-magnetically-operated controlled by a thermostat to automatically open and close the circuit of the heatin apparatus.

object of this inven- Generallystated, t e tion is to provide a novel and improved thermo-electric regulator of the foregoing general character.

A special object is to provide a'novel constructionand. arrangement whereby less current will be consumed. bythe regulator in 'the general operation thereof. 2a-

It is also an object to .provide certain details and features of construction tendin to increase the general etiiciency and desire ility of e, thermo-electric regulator of this particular character.

,To the foregoing and other useful ends, this invention consists in matters herein-" after set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the single figure is a diagram of a thermo-electric regulator embodying the principles of the inven As thus illustrated, this prises a line A, over which suitable current is supplied, such as that of'theordinary street car trolley line, which for ordina purposes is a direct current.v On the street car, the resistance B issuitabl -connected with the trolley which engages t e line, and

nal of the coil of the relay 0, and also with the movable contact element 1 of said relay.

It will be seen that this element 1 is L-' shaped, and that onearm thereof is adapted to be raised by the armature 2, when the latter is attracted by the core of the relay, and that the other arm of the element 1 is adapted to engage the stationary contact 3, where: by-the contacts 1 and 3 are separated when the armature is attra'ctcd. The element 1 is of metal, andthe armature 2 engages this invention comone termi .-of o oration isas follows: in g e position shown, the circuit of-the When the temperature 7 conductor 16 to the Patented Apr. 1919.

connected with the other terminal of the coil I of the relay C, and the other terminal of the thermostat is connected with one terminal of the auxiliary operating coil E, which latter. is a part of the main electro-magneticallyoperated switch-mechanism. The other terminal of the operating 'coil E is connected with the armature 2, so that when-this annature engages the element I, current is sup plied from the resistance B through the con-' tacts l and 2 and the coil E to ground at .4, thus energizing said coil. The main 0 erating coil F has one terminal thereo' con nected to ground, and has its other terminal connected to the movable switch contact 5,

the other end of this device 7 is provided .with a body of insulation 10 for engaging the contact 5, thereby to press the latter downward into engagement with the stationary conta'ct 11 when the operating coil E is energized. The armature 9 has an arm 12 which engages the stationary contact 13 when the armature is in its attracted position. This contact 13 is connected with the heaters G, which latter may be of any suit able character, and the other terminal of the heaters is connected with the trolley which engages the line or current main, so that heaters are in operation Whentheir circult is closed at the contacts 12 and 13, this ry heating circuit being through the heaters and said contacts and then to ground at 4,

. whereby a street car is heated in the desired manner.

Wlth the foregoing arrangement, the mode With the pants heaters G is closed. rises above the-desired point, the thermostat closes the circuit from the resistance Hover the conductor 14 to the coil 0, from the latter over the conductor 15 to the therm0- stat, through relay 0 is energized. This attracts the armature 2, causing'the element 1 to disengage the thermostat and over the" ground at 4, whereby the the contact 3, and at the same time closing a 'rcuit from the resistance B over the condur tor 17 to the' element 1, through the armature 2 and over the conductor 18 to the.

. vice 7, which latter is constructed to act as an armature, thereby causing the insulation to press the contact 5 into en ageme'nt current, the circuit of the operating coil F with'the contact 11, and causing t earmature 9 to be disengaged from the notch 8, whereby this armature 9 drops downward. This disengages the'contact 12 from the contact 13, and the result is that the circuit of the heaters G is opened. During this time, of course, the coils C and E are connected in multiple, and are in parallel with each other, and hence current passes through the coil E to reduce the currentflow in the thermostat D, so that the latter always closes on relatively high potential and opens on relatively low potential, the current being reduced in the thermostat immediately after i the operation thereof. It will also be seen that before the operating coil E was energized, and while the heaters Gr were receiving was open, the contacts 5 and 11 being separated at that time, so that While the heaters G are in operation there is no current flowing through the operating coil F, which re duces the maximum or peak load and causes the apparatus to consume less current in the general operation thereofi, When the temperature falls, the thermostat D opens the circuit of the relay C, causing the latter to release the armature 2 from the contact ele ment 1, thereby opening the circuit of the operating coil E, but this does not result in separating the contactsfi and 11, for at this a time the armature 9 is down and isholding the device 7 in position to keep said contacts closed. Consequently, when the relay C is denergized, allowing the element 1 to engage the contact 3, a circuit is then closed from the resistance B'over the conductor 17 to'the contacts 1 and 3, over the conductor 19 to the contact 11, through the contact 5 and over the conductor 20 to the operating arm 12, and then over the conductor 22 to ground at 4, thus energizing the coil F and causmg the armature 9 to move upward.

While the arn'lature 9 is moving. the contacts closes the contacts 12 and 13 and the heaters G can receive'current for heating purposes.

Thus, it will be seen that the clectro-magnetically-operated switch-mechanism comprises two operating coils E and F, but that no current flows through the coil F while the heaters G are receiving current for heating purposes. The other operating-coil E receives current while the heaters G are out liable to release its armature. Hence, the

thermostat D willthenopen its circuit under favorable conditions, the. potential ha'ving been reduced to an extent to prevent sparle ing in the thermostat, which would not be desirable and which might be injurious in a thermometer thermostat. The locking de vice 7 retains the armature 91in attracted position, and the operatingcoil E is ener-.-

gized to operate this device and thereby re lease said armature when the thermostat operates in response to a rising temperature to open the heating circuit. Theoperating coil F only momentarily receives current,

each time the contacts land 3 close,'-for the current flow in this c'oilis automatically discontinued practically immediately by the a changed or varied to. suit the requirements.

Also, of course, the armatur'e's 2' and 9 are pivoted in such manner that" they have only limited downward movement, thereby. to insure the desired mode of operation. The

' separation of the contacts5 and 11, in the th'eremo-electrie regulator thus provided,

which includes the two magnets and the relay and the thermostat and their circuits, is entirely'frec from current fiow when the heating circuit is closed, so that the peak load, as statechis materially reduced in any street carer other system in whichlarger numbers, or any number, of heaters are employed. f For when the heaters are receiving current there is no current in the regulator.

Should the trolley be disengaged from the coil F, then over a short conductor 21 to the line, whilethe heaters are receiving current,

theapparatuswill not be distributed,' and' the current will continue to bevsupplied to, the heaters as soon as the trolley is restored to the line.- Also, should the trolley leave the line while the heating circuit is open, 110 current will be supplied to the heaters when the trolley is restored to the line. The resistance of the coil B may-be of any suitable From the foregoing, it will be seen that the mainswiteh or contactor by'which the heating circuit is controlled is not main- I character, depending on the voltage of th line circuit.v

' that :the'ase'of any other,

of any-operatin coil. o the contrarv, this switch iskept-c used by the lockin v I operating coi as areta n ng'ooihorthe useo aseparateretaining coil, is not necessary, as the locking arrangement obviates the necessity of using either of these things. Again, the circuit arrangement, it will be seen, retains the advantage of having the contactor or main switch in- .cluded in the connection between the heater and the ground, instead of in the connection from the heater to the source of current, as Well as the other feature of reducing the current in the thermostat before the regulator is operated by falling temperature. two operating coils and the relay coil, it will seen, are connected in separate multiple series, so that they are in'parallel with each and with the heater, and none of these coils'are ever in series with each other, because each coil has practically a separate circult which does not include any other coil.

a thermostat,

. 4 mostat and. controlled thereby, means to sup- Thus, the contactoror main switch has a plurality of operating coils, but means are providedto maintain the contactor or main switch in closed position, so that there is no current flowing in the circuit of any operating coil while the heater circuit 1s closed, and no operating coil is employed as a retaining coil to maintain the switch or contactor closed. Also, with the arrangement shown and described, it is possible, it will be seen, to use alternating current.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A thermo-electric regulator comprising a circuit including said therply electric current to said circuit, automatic devices to reduce the current in said thermostat after closure and before theopening of said circuit, so that the current is high when the thermostat. closes and low when it opens, a heater, a circuit for said heater, a switch having mechanism operated by the energizing of said coilto open the heater .c1rcuit, said devices including a coil for operatingsaid switch. 7

2. A theme-electric regulator as set forth in claim in which there is an auxiliary coil for controlling saidmechanism to close the v is closed.

heater-circuit when 3. A thermo-electric regulator as set forth in. claim 2 in which said mechanism has means to automatically denergize the auxiliary coil upon the closing ofthe heatercircuit.

4. A thermo-electric regulator comprising athermostat, a circuit includingsaid thermostat and controlled thereby, means to sup- -ply electric. current to said circuit, automatlc devices to reduce the current in said thermostat after closure and before the opening of said circuit, so that the current is high evice,

The"

the theremostat-circuit .it opens, a heater,

'ing a thermostat, a circult whenl-the thermostat closes and low when a circuit for'said heater a switch for controlling said heater-circuit havin 'mechanism provided withmeans where y the entire regulator is free from the current flow while the heater-circuit is closed, said'devices crating said switch.

5. A thermoelectric re including said including. a coil '-for oplater, compristhermostat and controlled thereby, means to said switch.

ing circuit.

7, A thermo-electric regulator ,tystem an auxiliary coil to open" said switch, means including a thermostat said devices lator system,

comprising a heating circuit, a switch-to open and close saidfcircuit, a main coil to close said switch, an auxiliary coil to open said switch, means including a thermostatand a relay to control the flow of current in said auxi iary coil, said main coil having its energizing circuit controlled by ,said relay whereby the main coil is energized by the energizing of the relay.

8. The combination, in a thermostatically-controlled electric heating system,'of a heater having a circuit for supplying currentthereto, a switch for opening and closing said circuit, mechanism having a plura ity of operating coils to control said switch, circuit for said coils,- said mechanism'having devices to maintain. said switch closed, so that no operating coil is energized while current is flowing in the heater, and means to thermostatically control one of said circuits, whereby said operating coils conjointly control said switch to automatlcally open and close the heater circuit.

9. A thermostatically controlled heating system comprising a heater, m'eans for thermostatically controlling the production l with the mam coil and closed by the auxiliary coil-'when the latter is energized, a relayoperating when energized to open the -8, having means to momentarily close the coil, an auxiliary coil operating when en-' "ergized to w1thdraw the catch to permit the arm to drop, a pair of contacts in circuit main coil circuit and close the auxiliary coil circuit, and a thermostat in circuit with the coil of the relay.

10. In a thermostaticallycontrolled heating system, a switch controlling the heating circuit, a main coil for closing the switch, means forholding the switch'closed, an auxiliary coil for releasing the switch from said means, a relay, a thermostat in circuit with the :coil of said relay, the thermostat and relay coil bein in parallel with the auxiliary coil, the re ay controlling the circuits of both the auxiliary "and main coils closing the former and opening the latter when operated. y l 11. The said system, as specified in claim 8, having means controlled 'by one coil to momentarily close the ciicuit of another coil when the thermostat is operated by temperature.

12. The sald system, as specified in claiin circuit of one magnet to close said switch when the thermostat is operated by falling temperature. I

13. The'said system, as specified in claim 8, and means controlled by one of said coils to reduce the current in said thermostat falling before the regulator is operated by falling WILLIAM G. HAR WIG. 

